1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a photoelectric converter, particularly to a solid-state photoelectric converter which can be applied for a light-information input section such as of facsimile digital copier, laser recorder, etc. or for parcord reading means or other means for reading letters, images, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
There have recently made remarkable developments of so called solid-state photoelectric converters to be applied for light-information input sections such as of facsimile, digital copier, laser recorder, etc., or for means for reading letters or images written on manuscripts. Such photoelectric converters, for the purpose of miniaturization of the assembly as a whole, tend to have so called elongated light-receiving surfaces of the sizes equal to or approximate to those of the original images reproduced with excellent resolution, being capable of reading faithfully original images and yet compact.
The photoelectric converters as mentioned above having elongated light-receiving surfaces involve a great problem with respect to the signal processing circuit section to be equipped along with the photoelectric converting section.
More specifically, the aforesaid signal processing circuit section will occupy an areal space by far greater than the photoelectric converting section, whereby it is not possible to enjoy fully the advantage of the miniaturization effected by extremely shortened optical path length of light-information signal received as input to the light-receiving surface, which has been accomplished by elongation of the photoelectric converting section.
To speak of one method conventionally used for resolving this problem, there is generally adopted a system wherein the group of photoelectric converting elements (image elements) in the photoelectric converting section are divided into a plurality of blocks, each being wired in a matrix to provide the signal processing circuit section common to each block, which signal processing circuit section can thus be actuated by these block elements.
The problem to be encountered in the matrix wiring as mentioned above is that the bonding steps necessary for taking out the signals through connection between each photoelectric element and the signal processing section are extremely increased unless the group of photoelectric converting elements is integrated with the signal processing section.
In order to overcome this problem, such an integration is generally attempted by providing the signal processing circuit section on a crystalline silicon substrate and forming the photoelectric converting section thereon.
However, since the light-receiving surface of the photoelectric converting section is elongated, it is required to provide the signal processing section adjacent to the photoelectric converting section. With such a requirement, use of a crystalline silicon substrate is not in good compliance.